Mother

She wakes to the sound of a baby crying and tiptoes out of bed in the early hours of the morning like she's done almost every morning for many years before. She soothes and rocks as the dawn breaks in the East, painting the sky in the most magnificent colors. The babe nestles into her body for warmth, finding the perfect place to rest his head and they both close their eyes for just a moment. As the pleas for breakfast begin, she lets out a gentle sigh and puts one weary foot in front of the other making her way to the kitchen. The children snuggle on the heat vent while they wait to fill their tummies. When breakfast is served she lets their complaints go unnoticed, encouraging them to eat and nourish their bodies. When they are filled, they scurry from the table with brief expressions of gratitude. As the day goes on her capacity is tested and her emotions are constantly fluctuating. She experiences moments where she feels as though she might drown, and others that lift her spirits so high she can hardly express the joy she feels. After years of mothering she has learned to put up guards so that the hurtful words she sometimes endures from the children don't sting so badly. Her time at home allows her to craft, create, explore nature and nurture tiny souls. The demands are great, but she is up for the task. There is always someone who needs something and often the days go by without a moment to herself. Once again she creates a nourishing meal for her family. When they enjoy it she is filled with satisfaction, and when they do not, she is filled with a sense of failure. By days end she is worn down. Her patience has been tested to its limits and dark circles have formed under her eyes. She scrubs the dishes as loose hairs fall from her ponytail, framing her weary smile.  She tucks in each of the littles in her care with a long hug and a kiss on their head. She then moves about the house tidying and placing folded laundry into drawers. While most days she is left filled to the brim with joy, gratitude and a sense of satisfaction, it is not always this way. The work of a mother is relentless and tiring, but she does it without complaint because she recognizes that the fruits of her labors will be great one day as she watches those little souls grow and mature. She slips quietly into bed at days end, long after the rest of the house has grown quiet. As she falls asleep she wonders if anyone notices the hours she keeps and the service she selflessly renders on a daily basis. When she was a child she never dreamed that motherhood would be so much work, but she also didn't realize the way she would grow and become who she was truly meant to be all along.

"You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make." ~Gordon B. Hinckley